During the past year, the staff of the Indiana Reading Corps Program of ICC reports that 84% of tutored students in kindergarten through sixth grades gained at least one reading level and 42% gained at least two. Teachers also reported that tutored students tend to show improved social behavior, class participation, and interest in school.

“Being engaged is about connecting yourself to others so that you can know yourself better. Engagement means understanding your own life better through experiencing others situations and discovering what’s going on around you.” ~Robyn Miller, Student

“Partnering with ICC has had a huge impact on our neighborhood, not only through our work with faculty but also with the student grant that allowed the University of Indianapolis department of Occupational Therapy to work with IPS School 39 to obtain motor skill development equipment for the kindergarten classes.  Because this key piece that was missing has been put in place, School 39 has been nominated as a BlueRibbonSchool.”  Yvonne Margedant, Neighborhood Coordinator, Southeast Umbrella Organization (SUMO)

Indiana Campus Compact is a catalyst enhancing academia through engaging students, and engaged students become better students.  Students involved in service-learning have a positive impact on the communities they serve. The experience also strengthens self-efficacy and enhances overall learning. A national study of over 20,000 students revealed that students engaged in course-based community service (service-learning) displayed significant positive effects in GPA, writing skills, critical thinking skills, efficacy, leadership and interpersonal skills compared to the percentage with no participation in any community service during their four year studies.1   Service-Learning and the First-Year Experience also found that undergraduates engaged in service-learning shared positive outcomes in the areas of student attitude. This study discovered a correlation between participation in service-learning and higher levels of motivation and class attendance, with a reduction in levels of alienation of the education process and less involvement in high-risk behavior.2 A pedagogy that includes service-learning incorporated into the curriculum provides a more complete education by giving instruction a purpose in the community—connecting a need with a solution while filling a void.

Service-learning experiences have impact beyond the classroom.  An engaged workforce is more connected.  The cost of labor, training and benefits, and the pressure to maximize productivity make employee selection processes critical to the short- and long-term success of any organization. Life-experiences are factors that elevate the value of candidates. The experience gained in service-learning based curriculum is effective in part because it facilitates four types of outcomes: an increased sense of personal efficacy, an increased awareness of the world, an increased awareness of one's personal values, and increased engagement in the classroom experience. All of these factors translate to qualities companies look for in employees.

Students exposed to engagement tend to become involved in workplace improvement initiatives, rise to leadership positions, support team members with empathy, and exhibit self-motivation that proliferates through the workplace. Engaged people expand personal networks, form relationships with diverse groups and become connected to communities and causes. Organizations that support these individuals enhance the companies’ ability to improve community relations and instill company pride in employees, providing additional reasons for individuals to stay connected to the community and the organization.

“Indiana Campus Compact has shown me in a personal way the importance of service to the community. I’m much more civic-minded because of my involvement: it’s allowed me to grow in my thinking of what education is really about.” ~Chad Mayer, Former Student

Service-learning draws a student’s focus outward toward engaged citizenry for a stronger community.  Citizenship and civic knowledge covers a wide range of issues and ideals. Sadly, civic responsibility has become secondary in the recent education of our youth. Recent Federal and State programs emphasize increased educational standards in the areas of reading, math, and science. In most cases, any focus on civic education has been diminished. Being a responsible citizen also includes a belief in equality, liberty, honesty, personal responsibility and a sense that individual actions make a difference to society as a whole. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Civics Report Card for the Nation reported that only 26% of 12th graders graduated with more than a basic understanding of civics.3 Service-learning courses promoted at member campuses in this state and across the nation are bringing citizenship back into the classrooms, and back into the hearts and minds of students. These individuals will be our future leaders, co-workers and neighbors, building a stronger community for us all.

ICC fills a void for students and the community.  Engaged students are exposed to the higher purpose of education.  ICC provides a more complete education—one that complements knowledge and skills developed in the classroom. The impact on students is two-fold: students obtain a balanced education on their journey to becoming contributing members of society, and communities feel the effects as more young people take interest in social issues and respond to the needs of the under-served of the community.   Programs like Indiana Campus Compact, are reversing past trends of student apathy and non-involvement in civic activities.4 The number of courses that incorporate service-learning in their curriculum and the number of students engaged in service are increasing. Connecting students, faculty and campus staff directly to the communities they serve has shown to positively impact us all through:

Institutions fulfill the public purpose of higher education’s noblest goal—educating citizens, preparing students for service to society, and contributing to the development and revitalization of our communities.

“My career with the Indianapolis Police Department has been accelerated by my history with an organization rich in community service and service-learning. I currently am one of five community liaisons that work with neighborhood associations and groups on behalf of the Indianapolis Police Department. I have developed and initiated community programs and projects that directly affect residents on the north side of Indianapolis, building on what I learned from working with ICC as a student community service coordinator.” Ben Hunter, Indianapolis Police Department

What can you do to support ICC's work and in turn your community?